The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has issued a strong warning to the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding the allocation of media accreditations for the upcoming elections.
Initially, the EC allocated 3,308 media accreditations, a decision that sparked significant criticism from journalists and media advocacy groups.
They argued that this number was far too low to ensure proper media coverage, especially at key collation centres.
In response to the outcry, the EC increased the allocation to 4,500 accreditations.
However, GJA President Albert Dwumfour stated that this revised figure was still insufficient and needed to be raised further for comprehensive coverage.
“We are not negotiating on this. Our priority is to ensure that the media has the necessary numbers to cover the elections and access all the key centres,” Dwumfour said.
He continued, “We’ve received the 4,500 accreditations, but we’ve made it clear to the EC that we cannot distribute them. If they do not cooperate, we will return these accreditations to them, and they will have to distribute them directly.”
Dwumfour stressed the importance of adequate accreditation for media personnel to access all necessary sectors during the elections, including collation centres and legal areas. He made it clear that the GJA would not proceed with the distribution unless the EC increased the allocation.
“If the EC does not work with us to increase the numbers, we will return the 4,500 accreditations for them to handle the distribution themselves,” he added.
